The Olympus E-3, which was announced back in October, promises to be one of the most feature-packed SLR cameras ever, and we were pretty excited to get our hands on one. Our introduction to the E-3 came in a secret hollowed-out volcano hideout yesterday. Well, a West London art studio, but hey, we're just trying to set the scene.

Olympus chose a James Bond theme for the event, as photographers got to grips with the E-3, an Aston Martin DB5, and a bevy of Bond beauties. Sixties iconmaker David Bailey also made an appearance.

The E-3's technology is bang-up-to-date, however. An optical image stabiliser detects horizontal and vertical motion and will stabilise all lenses compatible with the camera. Olympus claims up to five stops of leeway.

The E-3 packs a 10-megapixel Live MOS image sensor and a top speed of ISO 3,200, with the thinking handled by a new TruePic III processor.

About the author

Rich Trenholm is a senior editor at CNET where he covers everything from phones to bionic implants. Based in London since 2007, he has travelled the world seeking out the latest and best consumer technology for your enjoyment.
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